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Porte Bonheur just gets up in First Flight Johanna Murphy-Leopoldsberger's PORTE BONHEUR (Hennessy) managed to stick her nose in front in a three-way finish in Sunday's $150,000 First Flight H. (G2) at Belmont Park. With jockey Ramon Dominguez aboard, the four-year-old lass completed the seven-furlong fast dirt test in 1:22 2/5 as the 2-1 favorite, paying $6, $3.40 and $2.40. Carolyn's Cat (Forestry) used her rail post to grab the lead from the gate, setting an opening quarter in :22 3/5 and the half-mile in :45. Sunday Geisha (Sunday Break [Jpn]) was pressing the pace just to the outside, and Spritely (Touch Gold) was tracking in the second flight along with Porte Bonheur. Carolyn's Cat was finished by the time she exited the turn, allowing Spritely to move up and take command through six furlongs in 1:09 1/5. Porte Bonheur was also putting in her rally to the outside, and Turn Away (Empire Maker) was closing down the middle of the track. Spritely dug in, but Porte Bonheur put in a final surge just at the wire to take the win, with Turn Away finishing another half-length back in third. "She has come a long way since last year," Dominguez said. "Now, she is a lot more focused. She's always been very professional in her races, but she was her own worst enemy as she'd get worked up beforehand." "She's a bit temperamental -- she's got the redhead personality," trainer David Duggan agreed. "This was a legitimate test for her, to see if she could get the seven furlongs. The (August 29) Ballerina ([G1] going seven furlongs at Saratoga) has been a main goal for the year, for her to be a (Grade) 1 filly, but she had to get there in the right progression." Spritely, the 9-2 third choice, was worth $4.80 and $3.10 for her gutsy performance and finished the $30.40 exacta. Turn Away, off at 5-1, gave back $2.90 and ended the $115.50 trifecta (3-2-6) for finishing 3 1/4 lengths in front of Iron Butterfly (Forestry). Sunday Geisha and Carolyn's Cat rounded out the order under the line. Porte Bonheur captured last year's Victory Ride S. (G3) and Flanders S. at Saratoga, and she has also recorded victories in the Ontario Fashion S. and Open Mind S. She's placed in two other stakes, the 2008 Gallant Bloom H. (G2) and the Vagrancy H. (G2) prior to this one. The four-year-old chestnut has now earned $413,012 to go along with her 11-6-1-2 career mark. Porte Bonheur was bred by Gainsborough Farm in Kentucky and commanded $250,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Produced by the French Group 3-placed Sous Entendu (Shadeed), she is a half-sister to German Group 2 victor Slip Stream (Irish River [Fr]), multiple French stakes winner Banafsajee (Pleasant Colony) and Grilse (Rahy), herself the dam of multiple Australian stakes winner and Group 1-placed Alverta (Flying Spur) and multiple Singapore stakes victor Revolte (French Deputy). Porte Bonheur's second dam is five-time Grade 1 winner It's in the Air (Mr. Prospector), the champion two-year-old filly of 1978, who is responsible for French Group 2 heroine Bitooh (GB) (Seattle Slew), along with stakes queens Air Dancer (Northern Dancer) and Monaassabaat (Zilzal). This is the family of Grade/Group 1 star Musical Chimes (In Excess [Ire]), winner of the 2003 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1); multiple Grade/Group 1-winning millionaire Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian); and last year's Mother Goose (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) heroine, Music Note (A.P. Indy).
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